The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-02-05


are innumerable bituminous deposits.
| These probably extend underneath the
whole region of western Asia as far as,
and even beyond the Euphrates for
| bltumen was used in the structure both
of Nineveh and Babylon. Whence came
these immense beds or stores They
are certainly carbonaceous. Are they
the product of immense forests of conc
bearing trees, once existing. but long
submerged and now buried beneath a
mass Of ocean detritus Be that as it
may,-the bituminous substances have
| certainly been Oozing out through the
| chasm of the Dead Sea for untold thou
sands, perhaps millions of years. This
| OOZe is said to be much more abundant
| after seismic or earthquake disturb
ances, which are of frequent occurrence
in that region. The oOze itself, during
| the untold ages fitsissuing, had, doubt
less, well nigh covered the surface of
the lake. Over it the constant wash
ings Of the Jordan had thrown a soil of
alluvium, very rich and very fruitful.
This was the vale of Siddim, full Of
'slime-pits, #" or small openings. These
pits seem to have been breathing holes
in the hard bituminous covering. The
soil, too, was full of sulphur, often
mixed with bitumen. On the lake bOr-
der, bitumen was abundant. 1t will be
seen, then, that the whole lake with its
surroundings, especially in the dry
season, was in condition for ready
ignition, and for the outburst of an
awful catastrophe. The cities Of the
plain stood thus on the brink of i'm
pending ruin.
At length the terrible disaster came.
1t had been foretold. The wicked in
habitants had been warned, but paid no
attention to the admonition. In mo-
ment the Inflated valley was on fire.
The particular agencies by which this
was accomplished, may never be known.
| Conjecture is the only alternative.
Whether the Lord, by direct agency or
a miracle of his own power sent down a
| storm of fire and birthstone upon that
unhappy people whether he caused
an earthquake, accompanied by volca-
mic action, to send up jets of internal
fire, which fell like rain with appalling
effect upon the fated race; or whether,
again, he caused terrible storm of
wind and lightning which sent down its
lurid bolts, and set fire to the sulphur
Gus bitumen in the vale, whose burn
ing jets were blown by the fierce winds
in every direction, as if they fell like
rain from heaven-no one can tell. No
one can determine from the brief ac-
count, which one of these is true. The
earthquake theory seems the most nat
ural and credible. Neither of them ex-
cludes miraculous agency.
When the great catastrophe came,
Abraham was in his tent at Hebron.
Jericho on the plains of the Jordan,
only few miles distant, lay 8 800 feet
below him. Very steep declivities must
be passed to reach that place. The
route from Jerusalem was difficult and
dangerous. The lake with its thick
crust of bitumen OveTspread with flu
vial detritus, on which stood Sodom,
Gomorrah and other cities, lay little
further south. Abraham who had been
informed of the decree of destruction,
sought earnestly to avert the calamity.
The cities had been warned and Lot
ordered to flee to the mountains. Abra-
ham still interceded reverently and
tenderly. 1t was of no avail.
Early on the solemn morning that
followed, Abraham, from his tent lock-
ed out toward the sea, and saw Pisgah
with the mountains of Moab covered
with thick. dark smoke. The whole
lake and the chasm of tie Jordan were
hidden from his view. He knew what
it all meant, and must have uttered a
grOan of unspeakable anguish. He
might even have felt his tent and the
very ground beneath him tremble with
the vibrations of an earthquake. But
the smoke was soon dissipated. 1t rose
up and mingled with the more weighty
| atmosphere. All then was serene over
Pisgah, over the mountains of Moab,
and the valley of Siddim. But the
doomed cities were not there they had
utterly disappeared. The dark waters
of the lake, much widened and increased
in appearance, lay solemn and still.
Though the SUMS beams were poured out
with their usual radiance, mournful
silence reigned over the whole scene.
Thus end the incidents given in the
old Mosaic history, concerning the val
ley of Siddim, and the destruction of
its devoted cities 1t dates far back to
the early ages of historical literature.
Is it all myth, a mere fiction or crea-
tiOn of fancy The river Jordan and
the asphaltic lake are surely no fiction.
They have existed as far back as run
meth the memory of man. The river
has sent its floods into this lake, and
the lake itself has repOsed in that deep
/ ohaspo tbrOugh all tho ooos vybiob hi